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China: Deadly chemical plant explosion hits Zhangjiakou

The local government has called on citizens to stay clear of the site, saying they could disrupt emergency operations. China has been rocked by several deadly industrial accidents, sparking anger in affected communities.

An explosion at a chemical plant on Wednesday killed 23 people and injured 22 others in the city of Zhangjiakou, which is set to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Tianjin warehouse blasts

Late on August 12, 2015, two explosions occurred at warehouses containing toxic chemicals and gas in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. According to state media, one of the blasts was equivalent to detonating 21 tons of TNT. The explosions killed 44 people and left more than 500 injured. Officials said just a week ago they had discussed tightening safety standards with companies at the port.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Lac Megantic train explosion

On July 6, 2013, a train of 73 tank cars of light crude oil derailed in the Canadian town of Lac Megantic. Left unattended at night, a small fire started, the brakes failed and the train rolled down a slight incline. The fire ignited the oil. There were two large blasts and several smaller explosions. Forty-seven people died in the disaster, and a good part of the downtown area was destroyed.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Volatile fertilizer in Texas

A blast following a fire at the West Fertilizer Company plant in the town of West, Texas killed 15 people and hurt more than 200 on April 17, 2013. The explosion flattened houses, left a huge crater and was so powerful that the United States Geological Survey registered it as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Russian military range up in smoke

Four thousand tons of military ammunition exploded at a depot at the Donguz test site in Central Russia on October 8–9, 2012. Thousands of people from two local towns were evacuated, and the shockwaves were felt as far away as Orenburg, 40 km from the scene. There were no casualties.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Cyprus munitions dump

An explosion presumably caused by a fire ripped through the Evangelos Florakis naval base munition dump in southern Cyprus on July 11, 2011. Dozens of people were injured, and at least 12 were killed. The explosion destroyed the base, knocked out the island's largest power plant and caused extensive damage to a neighboring community and a nearby popular holiday resort.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Maputo armory explosion

The Mozambican capital of Maputo was rocked for hours by a series of explosions on March 22, 2007. People fled in terror from the blasts at the country's largest ammunitions depot – an incident that was eventually blamed on high temperatures. Officials confirmed 96 dead and several hundred injured.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions

Enschede fireworks disaster

A massive explosion occurred at a fireworks factory on May 13, 2000, in the Dutch city of Enschede. Twenty-three people died in Europe's worst fireworks disaster, and 947 were injured. Hundreds of homes were leveled and more than 1,000 other buildings damaged, and the Roombeek neighborhood was completely ravaged.

Author: Dagmar Breitenbach

'Almost daily'

For years, China has been rocked by industrial accidents caused by loose enforcement of safety standards. In 2015, a massive explosion at a site in Tianjin killed more than 170 people. The blast was traced back to improperly stored chemicals.

Earlier this month, 52 people fell ill following a major chemical spill in Fujian province. The toxic chemical C9 leak occurred while workers were loading barrels onto a tanker.

With authorities wary of social unrest, Beijing has vowed to improve industrial safety standards and increase oversight. But environmentalists say little has changed and workers are still at risk.

"Tragic accidents occur on an almost daily basis," said Greenpeace researcher Cheng Qian in a 2016 report. "The government must take urgent action to manage chemicals in a sound manner, provide a safety net for workers and citizens, and protect ecologically important areas across the country."